Most people my age watched The Wizard of Oz in their childhood. However, I didn’t watch this classic until a few years ago – Christmas of 2009, to be exact – when the girls and I were reunited after I found out I was miraculously in remission. I saw the film with an adult lens, while Elisha and Elyssa helped me experience the magic.

On a Facebook Note (yeah, tell me about it), I wrote:

Most of our viewing entertainment comes from the library or the local video store. DVDs (BluRay discs 😀 ) are predictable, no commercials. I don’t subscribe to cable TV.

With a long list of classics to watch,  I was so thankful when we finally watched “The Wizard of Oz”. It was definitely worth the wait.

Fun, entertaining and certainly full of wisdom (like children!).

We are getting ready to experience The Wizard of Oz in a different way, so I want to reflect on the lessons we can learn as moms and the lessons we can teach our children.

My daughters will be participating in Rockwall Summer Musicals’ (RSM) first children’s summer camp of the season, which is The Wizard of Oz themed and will be held June 25-29, 2018.

Besides this being a production that is close to my heart, I am excited that the Rockwall Summer Musicals summer camp has the purpose to “build the child’s self-confidence, increase their attention span, give them the ability to focus, and improve public speaking skills through the art of acting.”

The week-long camp will include classes on acting, dancing, and singing taught by talented Rockwall Summer Musicals staff at the Rockwall Performing Arts Center. All students will attend workshops and perform scenes from the beloved musical The Wizard of Oz. I am so excited!

I do have a confession to make. There are two sessions are available: 9:00 am – Noon for ages 5-8 and 1:00 – 4:00 pm for ages 9-12. My girls are 14, 15, and 4, so they’ll be with students that are a bit younger or older than them. We are all very excited, and with a camp registration of $150 (which includes the week-long camp, a t-shirt, and a ticket to see a Rockwall Summer Musicals show this season), it is something I recommend. Besides, profits from RSM’s summer camp will be used to start a scholarship fund for local high school students declaring a theater major in college. 

The Most Powerful The Wizard of Oz Scenes are:

When they see Emerald City and Dorothy falls asleep and they say to her:“You can’t rest now, we’re nearly there.” Sometimes we feel like giving up right before we accomplish our task or achieve our goal and the mantra “I’m nearly there” can help you stay the course, whatever your Yellow Brick Road may be.

It’s wonderful that Dorothy had these friends to help her along the way, but when you feel no one gets you or supports you, you can say it to yourself! It’s worked for me so many times, even when I didn’t completely believe it.

When the Scarecrow said “Now I know I’ve got a heart, because it’s breaking”, I was bawling. This line hit me hard, maybe because I know that a good heart has to break every once in a while.

I remember reading in the scriptures that God wants us to come to Him with a broken heart. It made me think of times of sadness, hopelessness, depression, fear, and defeat, and how all of these emotions are confirmation of having a heart, having compassion, having feelings, having the ability to love and care for others.

Like that Lady Antebelum song I like so much says: “Guess I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all.” It’s not so bad when we look at it this way!

Dorothy had to “follow the Yellow Brick Road.” She had to meet the people she met, face the fears she faced, overcome what she overcame, learn the lessons she learned, and live the experiences she lived.

Life is like a journey along the Yellow Brick Road and the choices we make matter. I’m not saying this so you beat yourself up if you ever got off the road you knew you needed to follow, but so that you hang in there, knowing there are so many wonderful choices left to make and so many lessons to learn.

When Dorothy said “Why, I’m not a witch at all, witches are old and ugly…” after Good Witch Glinda asked what type of witch she was. Presumptions and stereotypes can hinder our relationship with others…and ourselves. It’s time to shift some of our paradigms. I’m ready!

There were so many subtle and not so subtle messages about diversity in the story and about how people look differently, act differently, and have different desires than you, but through the power of bringing them along your journey and collaborating with them, you can make progress along the road.

I liked the idea of having Ruby Slippers that keep you safe in your journey. I had serious goosebumps when Glinda The Good Witch told Dorothy at the end of the journey that she had the power to get home all along. ALL ALONG! I didn’t see that coming, but neither did Dorothy and she was the one wearing them!

I always say “When God gives you a vision, He gives you permission and provision.” God equips us with everything we need to be happy and fulfilled, with what we need to get to our desired destination.

Sometimes our own fear prevents us from figuring out or even believing this is true, sometimes we are just not ready for that truth, but whenever you find where you belong and how to get there, don’t waste your time questioning, wondering or even worse, feeling sorry for yourself or what could have been, just click your heels as many times as it takes!

Those are great lessons, aren’t they? But you probably knew those already. To me, there is a powerful lesson we often miss from The Wizard of Oz: the inner struggles that rob us from success and significance.

At times, you’re like Dorothy Gale, feeling lost, feeling like we’re too out of our comfort zones to function.

Other times, you are like the Scarecrow, feeling that you’re not smart enough, and maybe, just maybe, if you were a bit smarter, more competent, then you could succeed.

Then there are times you feel like the Tin Man, you want to feel accepted, approved of, and appreciated, and that quest doesn’t let you see your own heart, your own worth.

And yeah, many times you are like the Cowardly Lion. You know you were born to be a confident queen, but you are afraid to claim your throne.

Oh, and do you ever feel like Oz, The Great and Powerful, hiding your true self and your life struggles behind a curtain, pretending you do all this magic and everyone can count on you to solve their problems, when you feel like a fraud and the impostor syndrome gets the best of you?

Yes, you have the power and you’ve had it all along. You have a brain [knowledge], a heart [love] and the courage [faith] to follow your own path, and you can find those powers within you!

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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